45 single, Side A. RCA Victor (PB-10031) (1974)
Image credit: Rustical at 45cat.com
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"Love Is Like a Butterfly" is a single by Dolly Parton. It was released on August 5, 1974, by RCA Victor as the only single from her album of the same name. It was written by Dolly and produced by Bob Ferguson. The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Dolly's fifth song to top the chart. The song received the Country Award from BMI in 1975.
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Track listing
Side A
- Love Is Like a Butterfly (Dolly Parton) 2:21
- Sacred Memories (Dolly Parton) 2:42
Magazine advertisement (1974)
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BackgroundDolly described the song in her 2020 book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, as a "Very poetic, very descriptive, very innocent, and very flowery song." She said the inspiration for the song was her lifelong fascination with butterflies an how they are "soft and gentle as a sigh, just like it feels when you are newly in love." Dolly used the song as the theme song for her 1976–1977 syndicated variety series, singing it at the beginning of each episode while being lowered from above on a giant swing.
Recording"Love Is Like a Butterfly" was recorded on July 16, 1974, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. "Sacred Memories" was recorded during a September 1, 1972 session for the 1973 album, My Tennessee Mountain Home.
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Audio
Critical reception
Billboard reviewed the single in the August 17, 1974 issue. The review said, "Another beautifully soft ballad that she wrote herself and no one does their own songs quite like Dolly. Lilting melody changes should make it a sure crossover tune."
The single was also reviewed in the August 17, 1974 issue of Cashbox. It said, "Culled from her soon to be released LP, this title track is a mellow, easy paced ballad. Dolly has done much to establish her own artist identity and her light and airy voice has never sounded better. She captures the delicacy of a butterfly both with her delicate vocal and the lyric which she penned."
The single was also reviewed in the August 17, 1974 issue of Cashbox. It said, "Culled from her soon to be released LP, this title track is a mellow, easy paced ballad. Dolly has done much to establish her own artist identity and her light and airy voice has never sounded better. She captures the delicacy of a butterfly both with her delicate vocal and the lyric which she penned."
Billboard review, August 17, 1974.
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Cashbox review, August 17, 1974.
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Commercial performance
"Love Is Like a Butterfly" debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated August 31, 1974. It peaked at number one on the chart dated November 9, its eleventh week on the chart. The single charted for 17 weeks. It peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 105 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at number one on the Cashbox Country Singles chart.
Accolades
"Love Is Like a Butterfly" received the Country Award from BMI in 1975. It also received a Songwriter Achievement Award from Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1975.
Personnel
Credits are adopted from the 2009 box set, Dolly.
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"Love Is Like a Butterfly"
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"Sacred Memories"
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